Electrically-controlled lever-lock



R. M. GRUPE.

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED LEVER LOC K.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. I919. I 1,3463%, Patented July 13, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

I IIIHIHH avwewtoz RIM. GRUPE. a ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED LEVER LOCK.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. 20. 1919.

Patented J uly 13., 1920.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 1193 M. Erup E awvemlioi UNITED sTATEsr ENr OFFICE.

ROY MONROV GRUPE, or BROADVIEW; MONTANA, ssIGNoR or oNE-HALF T L no A. Y E TER, or BROADVIEW, ,MONTANA.

nLEcTnIoALLY coNTRoL ED LEVER-LOCK.

1,34 ,74 r A E Specification of Letters Patent. P t t y 13 1920.

Application filed February 20, 1919. Serial No. 278,219. I I

To all whom it may concern-. 'Fig. 3 is a top plan of the lock applied;

Be it known that I, ROY M. GRUPE aciti- Fig. 4 is an end view of the lock, and zen of the United States, residing at iBroad- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of view, in the county of Yellowstone and the lock. a 1 State of Montana, have invented certain Referring more particularly to the drawnew and useful Improvements in Electriings, 'A indicates a fragment of thecasing cally-Controlled Lever Locks, of which the of an ordinary motor vehicle engine or ino- I following is a specification. tor with which is associated the various This invention relates to-lever locks,'-and pedals indicated at B for'controlling the more particularly to an electrically .conspeed and operation of the vehicle.

trolled lockfor the low speed lever or pedal Thepedal'1 which is'the low'speed pedal ofmotor Vehicles, of the Ford type, and 'has a usual slow speed connection 2 con- -anobject of the invention is to provide a nected thereto below its pivot andthe pin locking mechanism for maintaining or hold- *3 of this low speed connection 2 is elongated I ing the low speed lever-or pedal in opera- So as to project upon the opposite side of'70 tion. It is well known; that in operating the pedal lever carried arm 4.=from the con- Ford.motor vehicles or others of planenection 2, 'This elongated end of the 'pin '3 tary gear transmission type, it is "necessary has ap l pivoted thereon; A weight' 6 to holdone footupon the low speed clutch '1 formed upOii the pawl 5 iiear its outer necessary to maintain the 'low s'peedfor any all times. t j I length of time or distance such as' in cities A ra chet'bar 7- 'is attached to the casing when the" traffic is congested or in cases A bY l l Which form a part Of the where truck bodies areused upon the chassis t ng- The bar 7 has a plurality of ratchet of Ford automobiles, ithis maintaining of teeth 8 formedupon its upper edge at one pressure upon the pedal becomes tiresome. h e adapt d t0 he engaged by o specifically a i comPrethe nib of'thepawl 5 to lock the lever or hends the provision of a rack which is atpedal 1 in adjusted position. However the tached to the casing'of the motor or engine paw 'i orm lly held "out of engagement 'ciated therewith a weighted pawl carried by The lever 9 is pivotally' mounted atfone the pedal or lever "for-low speed control of end, upon a' pin 10 which is" carried by the the vehicle and also to provide a spring acbar 7 and a pin "11 is also carried by the bar 'tuated lever 'whichgis pivotally carried by and engages inan elongated opening 12 the rack structure and normallysupports formed in the lever 9 intermediate its ends the pawl in a raised unlocking position, for guiding and limiting the pivotal movewhich lever carriesoan armature adapted to ment of the lever. An upstandingbracket be attracted upon the energizing of an elec- 13 is'formed'upon the bar 7 and a spring 14 tric magnet, to operate the said lever "for is connected to this bracket and to the lever allowing the pawl to engage one of the 9, for holding the upper edge of the lever 9 teeth of the rack or 'ratchet' structure. to above the upper edge of the bar 7 as shown lock'the said lever or pedal in its adjusted in Fig. 4c of the drawings'and also in Fig. 2 position and also to provide means whereby of the drawings.- ,The biting edge of' the the pawl will be" disengaged or unlocked 'pawl 5 engages andrides over this upper -fromengagement with the rack upon slight edge of the lever 9, holdingtheipawl out of, "forward movement of the lever orpedal. engagement with the ratchet teeth 8, and Other objects ofthe invention will appear consequently permitting unimpeded movein" the following detailed description taken mentof the lever or pedal l. v w I 'inconnection with theaccomPm'nVing draw- The lever 9;has an armature '16 formed 7 'ings forming 'apart ofthis specification and thereon and projecting laterally from its in which'drawings: I 7 free end which armature is adapted to'be I Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fragattracted upon the energizing of an ordi- *ment'of a motorvehi'cle en'gin showing the nary electricmagnet 17 to rock thelever 9 "improved lock applied thereto. and move it downwardly to allow the pawl Fig' 218 a sideelevation Of l ck 15-t ren ge 0.1 "9f the ratchet teeth a for operating pedal and at times h it is free edge, to force-th pawl downwardlyat 75 ofthe motor vehicle and which has asso- Wi h any One of the teeth 8 by a lever"9. 85

locking the lever or pedal 1 against move- 'ment, The magnet structure 17 has connection, 'with the magneto contact 18 of the engine construction and to the frame of the engine or ground of the ordinary magneto circuit as'shown in diagram in Fig. 3013 the drawings,-the magneto being indicated by the numeral 19 and ithaving' connection through a wire 20 with one pole ofthe magnet 17 while the other pole is connected to thevehicle structure or ground in any suitable manner, embodying a circuit maker 21 near the said connection, by means 'ofwhich the energizing, of the magnet 17 may be controlled. The circuit maker 21 may be an ordinary push button switch of any desired type and it is preferably to be placed upon the steering post of the vehicle or in any. .placeqwhere it can be conveniently reachedby the driver of the vehicle.

. In operation when it is desired to maintain the speed transmission mechanism in a low speed position for any length of. time,the circuit maker 21 is closed, which will :permit theenergizing of the magnet 17. The energizing of the magnet 17 will'attract the armaturelfi, moving the free end of the lever 9 downwardly and consequently moving: the upper edge of thelever 9 below the Y upper edge of the ratchet the bar 7 allowing ithe-pa'wl 5 to engageany one oftheratchetteeth'8, and .lockor. hold thelever or pedal 1 in its adjusted position. After the lever 9 has been lowered, by energizingof the magnet 17 the circuit maker 21 maybe operated to break the circuit through the magnet, and the binding engagementof the nib or point of thepawl 5 with one ofthe teeth 8 together with the weight of-the pawl and its weighted portion 6- will retain the-pawl in connectionwith theratchet teeth, and hold thelever in its locked position. When it is desired to release the lever for adjustment of the speed changing mechanism of the vehicle, a slight pressure, is applied to the leverwhich causesthe pawl to ride over one of the teeth and out of, engagement with the tooth against which it has. previously been binding; Upon-the movement of the pawl out ofbinding'engagement with the tooth, the spring f moving the pawl. upwardly above the ratchet teethS-and consequently preventing inner engagement between the-pawl and ratchet teeth, liolidingtthe pedal or lever l for free unimpeded...movement juntil :the circuit maker is again closed. Y Changes in. i

ried by 7 details may be made-without departing ,from the spirit of this invention, b t; i I cIaim:

7 ,1. The combination with a clutch'operating lever,. of means for vlockingthe lever 6.5 againstflmovenlent', means norma11yfma'in;

operating said last-named means tofperm'lt teeth .8, car- 14- will act to raise the lever 9, I

taining said locking means in an unlocking pos tion, and electrically operated meansfor movement of said locking means into a locking position. 7 V

'2, The combination with a lever, of a rack, means carried by said lever for engagement with said rack to lock the'lever against movement, means normally maintaining said rack engaging means out of a rack engaging position, and electrically operated means for .mov'ing said last named means into position to permit engagement of the rack engaging means with the rack.

23. The. combination with a speed clutch operating lever of motor vehicles, of means for locking the lever in adjusted positions, means normally maintaining saidlocking' means in an unlocked position, and electrically operated means for controlling the-operation of saidlast-named means.

4:. The combinationwith the speed. clutch operating lever ofa motor vehicle,of a pawl pivotally connectedto the lever, a rack having teeth adapted tobe engaged by said: pawl to lock the lever in adjusted position, means normally maintaining said pawl out of engagement-with said rack teeth and electrically operated means ,forgoperating said last rnamed means to .permitengagement of the pawl-and rack teeth,

The combination with the speed clutch operating lever of a motor vehicle, f astetionary .rack, a pawl .pivotally connected' to the lever,- a weight upon the free end of said pawl andnormally urging the .pawl into engagement with the rack teeth-means engaging said pawl and normallyholdingit out of engagement with said'rack, and electrically operated "means adapted to; operate said last namedmeans to permit engagement of the pawl. and rack. F

6. The combination with the-speed-clutch operating lever. of 'a motor'vehicleyof astra- Vtionary rack, a pawl pivotally connected-to the lever,,a' weight upon the :freeyendof said pawl and normallyurging the pawl into engagement with the rack teeth, means engaging said pawl and normallyholding it" out of engagement with said rack, and electrically operated means adapted-tooperate said last namedmeans to permit-engagement of the pawland rack, and means to move said pawl restraining means into positionto' hold the'pawl out of engagement'with rack after disconnection of; thefpawl with any onenfthe-teeth of the-racke s: 7. The combination with the speed'cluteh operatinglever of a motor-vehicle of aste .tionary rack, a pawltpivotally connected ,4?) said lever and adapted forengagement with one of therack teeth,toilock the lever in adjusted position, a leverpiyotally coringie? ed to said rack,meansnormal1y maintaining the upper edge, of; the said Jever above the upper edge of the rack and in engagement with said pawl to hold the pawl out of engagement. with the rack and electrical means for moving said lever downwardly to permit engagement of the pawl with said rack.

8. The combination with the speed clutch operating lever of a pawl pivotally connected to the lever, a rack, a weight upon the free end of said pawl and normally urging the pawl into engagement with the teeth of said rack, a lever pivotally carried by the rack, means carried by said rack and connected to said lever for urging the free end of the lever upwardly for maintaining said pawl out of engagement with said rack, an armature carried by the free end ofsaid lever, an electric magnet, said electric magnet adapted to attract said armature upon energizing of the magnet to move said lever downwardly to permit said pawl to fall into engagement with one ofthe teeth of said rack.

9. The combination with a lever, of a rack bar arranged below the lever, a pawl pivotally connected to said lever and arranged to normally engage said rack bar, a second lever pivotally connected to the rack bar, spring means connecting the rack bar and the second mentioned lever for normally holding the second mentioned lever above the upper surface of said rack bar for holding the pawl out of engagement with the rack bar, and means for operating said second mentionedlever to bring the same below the upper edge of the rack bar against the tension of said spring means to permit the pawl to en a e the rack.

MONROV GRUPE-v 

